


Wedding Night Lessons

by deisegal



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Shamelessly shippy, Stannis knows where to put it, eventually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-06
Updated: 2013-02-08
Packaged: 2017-11-28 10:56:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/673612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deisegal/pseuds/deisegal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shortly after taking the Iron Throne, Stannis is widowed.  He takes another wife - in the form of Asha Greyjoy. Awkward bedroom shenanigans ensue...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I completely fail at world-building and describing political machinations. So this is just really two people in a bedroom together. Don't ask me how Stannis got the Throne or why the hell he and Asha would get married. I am just really interested in the pairing and wanted to write them together in a romantic context as there isn't really anything else out there.
> 
> Thanks to my lovely beta reader and people who encouraged me in my writing when I feel about as natural as Stannis at a carnival. You know who you are!

When her maids left her, Asha finally had a chance to look at herself properly in the looking glass. She felt ridiculous. The nightgown was obviously designed to present her goods in the most appealing manner and certainly not for comfort, or to be worn overnight for that matter. The beaded bodice was tight and her breasts felt restricted – though she had to concede that they did look rather splendid hoisted up like that. The skirt was made up of countless layers of a fabric that she could not identify. 

Asha was still trying to get used to wearing dresses at court, never mind something like this. She normally wore her battle scars as proudly as jewels, but today she had been adorned with actual jewels and her hair had been teased into an elaborate style. Now her hair hung loose, longer than it had ever been in her life, and the jewels were back in their box. She wondered if she would ever wear them again. But Laena — her chief lady in waiting — had told her that they had belonged to Stannis’ late mother. She knew nothing about Cassana Estermont, apart from that she had died a very long time ago in a shipwreck with her husband. She wondered if Stannis had felt a flicker of emotion when he saw the jewels on her, or whether he just saw them as coloured rocks. He certainly hadn’t shown any emotion on his face during the ceremony. Asha poured herself a cup of wine from the side table and drank deeply. At least he had spared them the bedding. Though she always went to bed with a swagger, her confidence would have failed her at the thought of being groped and pawed on the way to the bedroom with a man like Stannis.

Suddenly the door swung open and Stannis was standing there, dressed in a heavy black robe that was trimmed with gold. He looked as awkward as she felt, and just stood by the door after closing it behind himself. To give herself something to do, she crossed back to the table where the wine — and a jug of lemon water — was laid out.

“A cup of wine, husband?”

“No, but I will have a cup of lemon water.”

“Oh ... you do surprise me.” 

He had sipped a little wine at the feast as Davos had toasted the “happy couple” but apart from that he had been imbibing lemon water all night.

Asha swirled the wine in her goblet and glanced down. She caught sight of her breasts confined in the tight bodice and wondered if he was looking at them. No — he was staring straight ahead, sipping the lemon water slowly, jaw moving from side to side.

She finished her wine in one gulp, took his cup from him and put them both on the side table. 

“Well, we are here now, everything is done and we might as well get this started.”

His cheeks began to colour. “Yes, that would probably be for the best.”

She tilted her head. Would he make the first move? She was no blushing maiden, but she at least hoped he would be gentlemanly enough to kiss her first. A few agonising moments passed before she realised this was not going to happen.

She tsked and leaned up to kiss him on the lips. They still tasted of lemons but they were hard and unyielding, much as they had been at the wedding ceremony. 

She stared at him coolly after this resounding failure. He met her stare for a moment before swallowing hard and looking away. Acting swiftly, she reached up and cupped a rough cheek, pulling him back to look at her and kissing him again in one swift motion. He was slightly unbalanced by this and thrashed his arms a bit, as if unsure of where to put them. Eventually he decided that her shoulders were as good a place as any and she was surprised by how her flesh prickled as his hands landed there. His hands were rough, but she was used to rough hands from her lovers. In fact, her own had been quite rough until her maids had scrubbed her all over that morning and covered her from head to toe in scented, soothing balms. She should have hated it really, as they swaddled in linens her and left her for a while to let the potions soak into her raw skin, but she was ashamed to admit she quite enjoyed it. Since the moment she agreed to marry Stannis, she knew she was going to have to learn to be a tad more ladylike and while much of it was bewildering, it hadn’t been as awful as she had anticipated. But maybe that was because Stannis had kept his distance …

By now he had relaxed into the kiss a bit more and she smiled to herself. She had to keep a hand on one of his cheeks to prevent that hideous grinding sound. When she broke the kiss she noted with some satisfaction that he sighed. While his eyes were closed and lips slightly parted she took a moment to study his face, how much younger it seemed without the frown lines. The spell was broken as he opened his dark blue eyes and the scowl returned.

“Do you ever smile?”

The scowl deepened. “What does it matter if I smile or not?”

“It would make you look younger I wager."

“And why would I want that?”

_Oh for God’s sake_. She pulled back and walked towards the bed, landing on it with a thud, her gracelessness at odds with her delicate attire. She leaned back on her elbows and stared at him. “I can see the softly-softly approach is not going to work with you,"

“What do you mean?”

“Stannis, you and I both know that I am no shy maiden. That I have lain with other men. There is no point in either of us being coy with each other. This must be done. So let us do it."

He rubbed at the back of his neck and hardly seemed to know where to let his eyes rest. She found herself taking pity on him. After a moment of teeth grinding he shrugged off his robe, folded it methodically and placed it on a chair by the wall. He crossed the room and perched on the bed beside her, but stared resolutely at his hands, which were now clenched into fists. She reached up and touched the thinning hair at the side of his head. He swallowed hard again. She kissed the side of his neck, noting that the muscles were so rigid they might snap. Everything about Stannis Baratheon seemed rigid and tight. Which made her wonder …

She dropped her hand to touch between his legs and she could feel through the thin fabric of his nightshirt that he was hard. He could be harder, but she could soon take care of that matter. A tiny whine escaped his lips.

“Ah, Your Grace, you are almost ready I see. Unfortunately I am not quite at the same place as you, so perhaps we could take care of that. Together?” 

She had never had to coax a man to get between her legs and it seemed doubly ridiculous that she had to do so on her wedding night. Nevertheless, he nodded tersely and turned to her just as she eased back onto the furs. She wriggled further up the bed to allow him more room and he propped himself on one elbow as he leaned across her. He smelt of lemons and cedarwood and she wondered why she had a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach — an ironborn princess, who feared no man. But as he loomed over her she wondered if this was fear, excitement or a mix of the two. 

Her first marriage had been a joke, a scrawl on a a piece of paper; she had not even seen her "husband" before his death. But this was the man she was meant to end her days with, and the idea that he might not live up to her needs in the bedroom was an unpleasant one. Any other man could possibly be trained to perform to her requirements, but something told her that Stannis was not one to be trained and even as his free hand came to rest on the bodice of her nightgown she had to push down the fear. He leaned down and kissed her, surprising her with his intensity. This was better.

“I fear I am perhaps not as ... skilled in these matters as you might wish,” he mumbled as his lips left hers.

“It is not complicated, Your Grace.”

“Stannis,” he murmured into her ear as his lips grazed her neck once more. Her stomach lurched again, this time at the feel of his stubble on sensitive skin.

“Stannis,” she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, “you may find this hard to believe but it was not tales of your prowess with women that drew me to you."

“I see.” He pulled back and glared at her. Asha decided she needed to soften her words. Even a man like Stannis needed his ego massaged a little. 

“But I know that you are a just, decent man," she went on, "and you have been nothing but courteous to me since our betrothal."

He clenched his jaw again. _Damn him!_ It was astonishing that he still had teeth left in his head. She grabbed his face with both hands, forcing him to stop clenching.

“I come to your bed willingly. You have quite a pleasing face and body and I feel you may also approve of what you see here ...” Her eyes flickered downwards to where she could see the outline of his straining cock, currently pressed into her hipbone as he leaned over her. He blushed. She felt a small twinge of pride at this.

“And we can make this pleasant for each other if we just make a little effort ...”

He was eyeing her with something akin to curiosity now and he raised his free hand to push away a strand of hair that had fallen across her eyes.

“I would like that, my lady.”

“Asha."

“Asha." He lowered his head to kiss her again and she accepted his lips passively at first, before flinging her arms around his neck and pulling him tight to her. She could feel his hardness pressing into her and she ground her hips slightly against him. Even that was enough to cause him to moan into her mouth. He began to explore her body with his free hand. It felt good. She hoped he would be a bit more daring and release one of the ties on her shoulder and happily he obliged, fumbling as he went with his shaking hand. She drew him deeper into the kiss and this spurred him to grind against her. It felt very good.

They seemed to have slipped further down the bed at this point and she broke the kiss to murmur, “Perhaps we should move under the covers.”

He nodded and sat up.

“I wondered if you could help me with the rest of the ties on this.” She stood up and turned her back to him, holding her hair out of the way to allow him easier access.

“You wish to remove it?”

“Well, I ...” 

He didn’t even let her finish as he jumped up and grabbed at the laces, then as if remembering himself all of a sudden, he stopped. When she glanced around he was staring at her.

“Forgive me," he said, "I am presumptuous."

“I ASKED you to unlace me!” She punched him playfully on the chest and then it was her turn to feel foolish. She bit her lip and waited for him to retreat back into his shell but to her surprise he laughed. Though it sounded more like a scoff, it was probably close enough to a laugh for Stannis.

“That you did. I am a little out of practice in this area. But I did warn you of that.”

“You do not kiss like you are out of practice."

Unless she was very much mistaken his eyes flashed for a moment and then he gently turned her so he could finish unlacing her. The moment of levity dissipated as she turned to face him, now naked to the waist. She felt exposed in every way, but when he placed his big hands around her waist and pulled her towards him, that feeling vanished. She took hold of the fabric of his nightshirt.

“Will you be so bold as to remove this?”

He swallowed hard yet again and nodded. He stepped away from her and walked towards the bed; she followed him to the other side and balanced at the top of the bed on her knees. He quickly pulled the shirt over his head and dived under the covers, barely giving her a chance to see him. She sat up and clasped her hands around her knees. He was lying on his side observing her, with the covers pulled up to his chest.

“Are you ashamed of your body?” she asked him.

“No! It’s just cold …”

She reached out a hand to touch the top of his chest. “You feel very warm to me," she said as she trailed her fingertips along his chest, tugging gently at some of the coarse hairs. He was watching her the whole time, so when she went to kiss him again he was ready and indeed put up his arms to catch her, allowing her to press the full length of her body up against his, pushing the covers away from him. He rolled on top of her and continued to kiss her, knocking the wind out of her with the intensity of it. And then much to her delight he began to trail a hand up her leg, beginning at her knee and then working his way through the frothy layers of fabric of her nightgown along her thighs. She kissed him greedily, hoping he would get the message that she was very happy with the way things were going — but just in case he needed further reassurance she broke away and groaned in an over-exaggerated fashion.

Blue eyes flashed at her. “Are you unwell?”

She was caught off guard for a moment. Surely he could not be so dense?

“I am very, very well … please, do go on.”

In the midst of all the cajoling and reassuring, she realised she hadn’t had a good look at his cock yet. It certainly felt big pressed up against her thigh and a quick glance down confirmed it was. If the stories about Stannis’ sex life were to be believed, it seemed to be an awful waste. That’s assuming he knows what to do with it, she reminded herself. Overall, he was well built. A tad too thin, but years of war had taken their toll on his body. She only had a vague idea of what he went through before she had met him, but at least he looked healthier now than he did during their march on Winterfell. He was kissing and sucking on her neck all this time and suddenly he clamped a hand on one of her breasts. He began a strange kneading motion and it was all she could do to keep herself from laughing.

“Um, Stannis?”

“Yes?” he mumbled from her neck.

“That is my breast. It is not a lump of dough.”

His head shot up and he had the most panicked look on his face.

“I mean, you have such big strong hands, and a gentler touch would be better …”

“I see," he said.

“More like this …” She pushed his hand away and began stroking small circles on her breast, flicking over her nipple. 

He watched intently before nodding. “I understand now."

He propped himself on one elbow once more and resumed his task. She couldn’t help but watch him in fascination, the look of concentration on his face. _I want this man inside me_ was the first thing that sprung to mind. But she knew she wasn’t quite ready for him yet. Suddenly, he began to suck on her nipple and this time the moan that escaped her lips was not forced or exaggerated. Encouraged, he moved across to kiss her other nipple. It took her a moment to realise that he was now between her legs and it obviously occurred to him at this point as well because he stopped and looked up at her, resting his chin lightly on her chest. The feel of his stubble was scratchy but pleasant. But they were now at that awkward moment and he had to make the next move. 

He had returned to stroking up and down her leg with his free hand, all the while staring at her. She could possibly have nudged him toward entering her but she was curious to see if he would touch her beforehand. She wanted to see how much he was willing to do, to give her. She sensed his hesitation as his hand landed between her legs but he didn’t take his eyes off her as he did so. She flushed at the feeling of his fingers and his eyes on her.

Unsurprisingly he was heavy handed and she squirmed in discomfort.

“Aaaah ...”

“Am I hurting you?” he asked, seeming annoyed.

“Probably just a bit too hard.”

“Can’t do anything right it seems.”

Asha could have screamed at that point, but part of her expected him to be like this.

“Every woman is different, Stannis. What worked for the other women you have been with won’t necessarily work for me.”

She was met by a blank stare. She found she didn’t really want to think of his previous exploits — or lack thereof — with other women, so she took hold of his free hand and drew it back between her legs.

“It really doesn’t require much pressure ... and there’s a place here that’s very sensitive. All it takes is a light rubbing with your finger or ...”

“Or what?” he was hanging on her every word and she she wasn’t sure if she found that endearing or worrying.

“Or it doesn’t matter … your finger is perfect right now." This was all turning horribly awkward so she leaned up to kiss him quickly on the cheek and slumped back.

He took a deep breath, then began touching her as directed, never taking his eyes off her as he did so. 

“Is that better?”

“Yes, yes … it’s very nice." She was pleasantly surprised when he went to suck on one of her nipples again, thrilling at the feeling of his stubble on her skin once more. She felt she could finally relax under his touch now as he seemed to be a bit more confident with what he was doing. Then he was kissing the skin on her chest and the heat from his lips was making her flush. She arched her hips up but he slammed her back down on the bed with his body. Instead of feeling outraged, she found she was incredibly aroused. And suddenly there was nothing more important than having him inside her.

“Stannis, stop!”

“Why? I thought you said it was nice?” She could have kissed him for the disappointed look on his face alone, but really she just wanted to kiss him anyway. So she did. And he responded and before long they were a tangle of limbs on the sheets. Mid-kiss she reached down and grasped his cock and stroked it firmly, drawing a long groan out of him.

“I’m ready, and I can feel that you are as well,” and she pressed her forehead to his, marvelling at the heat radiating from his face.

“Yes … yes … ” Yet again he swallowed hard and then shook his head.

“Well, if you don’t want to …"

“Of course I want to,” he snapped, then softened his tone. "I just find ... in these situations — my courage fails me.”

“You are the bravest man I know, Stannis. Can’t you see there is nothing to fear between a woman’s legs?” How a man like this could get to forty namedays and still be so unsure of himself around women baffled her. But Stannis wasn’t like most men. 

“I see it ... I also see that you are more ... experienced in these matters and I fear I will be a disappointment.”

“Well, going by the size of your cock I really don’t see how that can be the case.” A harmless lie wouldn’t hurt him. And indeed he kissed her harder than he had done before before leaning back to ease himself into her. It was very satisfying to hear the sound that came out of him as he settled inside her and she brought her legs around his hips, arching her back to change the angle. Once he was deep inside her he began thrusting. His movements were quite erratic and she dug her heels into his back to try and anchor him but she soon realised she was going to lose the battle and he wasn’t going to last much longer. He lowered himself down to kiss her but his kisses were sloppy, as though he couldn’t coordinate his mouth with his lower body, as though it was all too much for him. And sure enough a few thrusts later he spilled his seed, groaning long and low into her neck, his hands gripping tightly to her hips.

“Gods ...”

“Hmmm … ” 

He was struggling with his breathing and he took a moment to compose himself before pulling back and looking at her. it was like looking at a different person, his features softened almost beyond recognition, his eyes hooded and glazed. Even though she had spent a hundred more passionate nights in her life and she had not come herself, she felt a lot more reassured than earlier. And with some further “lessons," he could indeed learn how to please her. She already had a few lessons in mind.

Suddenly he was at the fabric of her skirts. “May I take this off?”

“Yes, of course,” she said, curious as to what he planned now.

He tugged the gown down her legs and threw it onto the floor. He gently pushed her onto her side, moved up to the pillows and lay behind her. He drew her into his arms, locking her in place with one hand underneath her and the other trailing up her side. Her skin was tingling again from his touch.

He kissed behind her ear and murmured a soft “Thank you.”

She was tempted to playfully ask why he was thanking her but the husky tone of his voice was so attractive she didn’t really want to break the spell. She wriggled so she was pressed tighter up against him and reached out to take hold of his wandering hand. But he pulled that hand away from her reach and then that same hand was between her legs again, a finger poised exactly where it needed to be. _Oh_.

He sucked on her neck, his tongue moving in circles at the same pace that his finger was moving against her. Her own wetness mixed with his seed meant his finger could glide over her easily and she was so relaxed in his arms that she felt the heat rising from her toes quickly. She didn’t even have a chance to wonder how his touch seemed so confident now after his previous hesitancy. He didn’t break his rhythm once and the pressure built steadily and quickly throughout her body. As she came she pushed back into him, her body shaking and spasming, her breathing ragged. She gasped and her eyes shot open.

“God!”

“Was that to your liking?” she couldn’t see his face but something told her he was smiling and sure enough when she turned around he had a glint in his eye and the corner of his mouth was quirked up. 

“And here was me thinking you were unlearned in these ... matters.”

“I am not a complete fool."

She grasped his hands tightly over her stomach and squirmed a little against him. “No, it seems not.”

He rested his chin on her neck and after a few minutes Asha realised that he intended to sleep like this. She had not expected that she would end the night in Stannis’ arms, having assumed he would just do his “duty” and then leave for his own bedchamber, but she found she did not mind this development. And as she drifted off, she began to think of how she would probably need to rethink that lesson plan.


	2. The Frustrated Kraken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the morning after the night before and Asha is finding her new husband to be a bit of a mystery....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Including Shireen and Devan in this is a bit of a disservice to their characters as I really wanted Asha to have something to do for the day while she was waiting for Stannis. Sorry :/
> 
> Also sorry for the complete cheeziness of it but I didn't tag it "shamelessly shippy" for nothing....

Asha awoke the morning after her wedding with a slightly sore head, the legacy of possibly one too many cups of Dornish red. She glanced across at her new husband, who was still fast asleep. Though they had fallen asleep locked together, they had slipped apart during the night. However, he still had a leg draped over one of hers. She squirmed so she was facing him but their legs stayed entwined. The covers were down around his waist on his side so she took advantage of this leisurely moment to take in how chiselled and lean he was. From what she could see he only ate for sustenance and not for pleasure so he had no visible body fat. He had a luxurious coating of dark hair on his chest that thinned out as it ran down his body. She wanted to reach out and feel his flat stomach but instead she touched his heavily stubbled jaw, tracing her thumb across his lips. His eyes fluttered open and he gazed sleepily at her.

“Good morning, Stannis.”

“Good morning ... have you been awake long?”

“Just these few moments. I have been admiring the view.”

He scoffed and closed his eyes. “I must rise soon.”

“The morning after your wedding?”

“A King must always do his duty, no matter what the day.”

“I’m sure your subjects would understand."

“It is not up to them to grant me understanding." He still had his eyes closed and she wondered if he even believed what he was saying.

She placed her hands around his waist and pressed herself up against him. “And do you not have a duty to me? To get me with child as soon as possible? A very important duty to your kingdom I believe.”

That got his attention. He opened his eyes and his cock twitched against her thigh. She buried her face in his hairy chest to stifle a giggle, pressing her body even closer to his. She could hear his heart hammering in his chest. “I see you have already risen." 

Before he could splutter or mutter at her she drew his face down to hers and kissed him gently, pushing her tongue past thin lips.

She could tell he was hesitant but his hands came around her all the same and he began to return the kiss with increased fervour. She wasn’t sure how long passed like this but slowly she conspired to be on top of him.

“The view is quite nice from up here as well.”

He said nothing but just stared at her, blue eyes boring a hole into her. A more timid woman might become bashful in the silence but Asha merely stretched like a cat and brought her nose close to his, locking her hands behind his neck.

“You are certainly very sure of yourself.”

“And why shouldn’t I be?”

“You must forgive me if I seem a little ...”

“Restrained? Shy? Timid?”

“Yes. All of those.”

“As we are still getting to know each other properly, I will go easy on you, but,” she skimmed her lips along the side of his head, “you will have to start playing with me very soon.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Well … a woman has needs that must be taken care of. It would be demoralising if I had to take care of them myself all the time.” She leaned back and made a show of going to touch herself. His eyes widened and she could tell he was breathing heavier, so she was obviously having the desired effect.

“That does sound shameful."

“Indeed. Imagine a king neglecting his duty towards his queen." For all her boldness, the idea that she was now queen seemed bizarre. And as she mused over her own statement, he took her unawares and sat up, flipping her over on her back and pinning her to the mattress, his hands gripping her wrists.

“I could never stand for being accused of neglecting my duty.” 

He nipped at her neck and she shivered with lust. He scraped his rough jaw across her chest and began to lick and suck at the skin there. She wriggled against him but the last thing she wanted was for him to let her go. 

“But, my lady,” he sat up straight and swung his legs over the side of the bed, leaving her bewildered and confused, “I fear my duty is to the realm at this time.”

She couldn’t find a word to express her frustration and before she knew it he was across the room, putting on his nightshirt and tying up his robe. She glared at him and could see he was trying to avoid looking at her. Only her nakedness prevented her from running across the room and clawing at his face. Eventually he met her stare. The wicked glint was back.

“You find this amusing, do you?” she said.

He crossed back to the bed. “On the contrary. I take my duties very seriously but there is a time and a place for everything.” He cupped her chin gently in one hand.

“You are probably used to taking all of life’s pleasures whenever they present themselves to you, never thinking of the consequences.”

Asha couldn’t believe her ears. “I fail to see how the consequences in this case are negative!”

“I know that’s how you see things. But it is not my way. I have lived my life according to discipline and order. And, yes, I’ve often had to deny myself pleasures when they are offered to me. But it is something that has stood me in good stead and I will not just abandon that belief now because you are so ...” and his eyes roamed over her shoulders and bare chest, then he dropped his hand to gently touch her hair. He didn’t finish the sentence but instead kissed her firmly on the mouth and looked at her intently. 

She was honestly speechless at this point. She was not asking him to melt the Wall or sail the Dothraki Sea in a war galley. She was asking her husband to spend a little time in her company on the morning after their wedding. It was the most natural thing in the world and yet he was speaking about it as if it was an inconvenience, something to be taken care of it at a specific time, in a specific order. 

He stood up straight and began to walk towards the door before turning to her.

“I have asked Shireen to eat with us tonight if she has recovered sufficiently. I trust you will have enough to do until then. I believe Maester Pylos has some books about what exactly it is a queen should do ... I never involved myself in the queen’s affairs before so I can’t help you in that regard.” His voice faltered and he seemed to be looking somewhere in the distance.

Queen Selyse had died from a pox that had ravaged King’s Landing very shortly after Stannis had taken the Iron Throne. That was all Asha knew about her. But right now Queen Selyse was the furthest thing from her mind as she glanced around to see if she could find something to throw at him. Unfortunately there was nothing close at hand. But she couldn’t let him escape without a final jibe.

“Oh husband?” 

“Yes?” He was halfway out the door and turned to look at her.

“While you are taking care of matters of state, I shall take care of my own _matters of state_ here."

He reddened slightly, cleared his throat and then was gone. 

 

***

Asha groaned and fell back on the bed. As it happened, she did not want to “take care of” anything; she was too furious to even think straight. Her maids arrived shortly afterwards and helped her bathe and get dressed but truth be told she felt sour as they fussed over her. She longed to be able to pull on a pair of leather trousers and a rough-spun jerkin and go out riding to clear her head. She always knew she would have to change to fit in here, but suddenly the limitations of her new life were starkly obvious. 

She met with Maester Pylos after she partook of a light breakfast but he was still muddling through the relevant documents in the royal archives and couldn’t illuminate her on what her duties should be just yet. Cersei had been the last queen to sit on the throne for more than a few moon cycles and obviously nobody wanted to emulate her. She wandered in the gardens for a while before deciding to call on her new stepdaughter. Shireen had been bedridden in the time leading up to the wedding, so she could not be involved in the arrangements as Asha had originally wished. Even at the wedding feast she had looked pale and had retired shortly after the last course was served. 

She entered the room where Shireen was working on some embroidery. She was surprised to see Asha but she definitely looked healthier than she had done the day before.

“Your Grace,” she curtsied, only to be dismissed by a wave of Asha’s hand.

“Please call me Asha and please do not curtsy to me, there is no need for such formality.”

“As you wish.” Shireen hesitated before sitting down again. “I had not expected to see you until dinner. My father requested my presence at dinner with you both tonight.”

Asha wasn’t really surprised by how she spoke about her father. But she impulsively decided that she would break through the layers of formality. Stannis might wish to push her away, but she would not let him continue to do so with his own daughter.

“May I join you?”

“Of course.”

The conversation was awkward and stilted at first. Asha asked Shireen if she could teach her some stitches; Shireen's face lit up at the request and she provided Asha with some sewing materials and a frame within which to work. Asha was pleased to note that her failure in the “feminine arts” had served her well in this case. Alannys had despaired of her daughter ever learning how to sew properly and Asha had been happy to fail. She found it utterly boring. She wanted to be running around in rockpools and playing with wooden swords with her brothers. Now as she watched Shireen talking enthusiastically over her stitching, she was grateful of the opportunity to bond with the girl in the quiet solitude of the room, something she definitely couldn’t have done on a bracing horseride.

“You looked very beautiful in your wedding gown," said Shireen.

“You are very kind to say so, but I fear I am still quite uncomfortable in all these dresses. You see, I grew up on Pyke and I rarely wore a dress, never mind a dress as beautiful as the ones I am wearing here. The salt air would have formed a crust on the beadwork!”

“Would you … would you tell me about Pyke? What it was like to live there?”

“Of course, but you must promise to tell me about Dragonstone. I have heard so much about it but I wonder how much of those stories are true and how many are made up!”

“Oh, I know all sorts of secrets about Dragonstone!”

The time passed quickly as happily exchanged stories about their respective childhood homes and it was only a knock on the door that stopped them mid conversation.

Lord Davos’ son Devan – who was also the king’s squire – presented himself when summoned. Asha noticed the colour rising on Shireen’s cheeks and she suddenly busied herself staring intently at a stitch. Asha recognised that look, that feeling.

“Your Grace, the King regrets he will be unable to join you at dinner tonight.”

“And why is that?”

“There has been a raven from the Eyrie, and he needs must deal with a sensitive issue.”

Asha sighed “Very well. It is just you and I then, Shireen … I hope you can bear my company a little longer."

“Of course, my lady.” Shireen did not seem put out at all by this development.

“Unless … ” Asha bit her lower lip and glanced between Devan and Shireen, “unless you would care to join us?”

Asha could tell without looking that Shireen was staring at her.

“Oh, Your Grace, I couldn’t ... the king will require my presence. It would not be proper.”

“Very well. Tell the king that _I_ require your presence.”

“But he will not agree. He is the king.”

“And I am his queen. Tell him I am most insistent.”

“But, Your Grace … I ...”

“Tell the King that the queen has NEED of your presence. Use those very words. He will understand."

It was probably unfair of her to involve Devan in her petty argument with Stannis. But she liked the idea of getting to spend some time with the young man who had obviously captured her stepdaughter’s heart.

Devan bowed and left the room but it was obvious he was flustered by the exchange. Shireen was now blushing furiously and started to put her sewing things away.

“Are you well, Shireen?” Asha was now concerned that she had embarrassed the girl.

“Oh yes,” she smiled, “Maester Pylos has advised me to take a nap every afternoon until my strength improves. How is your stitchwork?”

She glanced down at the jumble of threads, “A work in progress ...what about yours?”

Shireen shyly presented her half-finished work, which was a beautiful scene of a goshawk standing on a branch.

“Oh, Shireen, this is lovely!”

“Do you think so? Maester Pylos gave me a book with a picture in it and I memorised it ...well ... as well as I could … but this is my third attempt.”

“What made you choose a goshawk?”

“It’s silly really.”

“No, tell me."

“Father once told me he had a goshawk when he was young. Its name was Proudwing. He only kept it for a little while I think. But when he talked about it, he ...” she trailed off and rubbed gently at the threads.

“He what?”

“He looked happy.”

Asha wasn’t quite sure what to say. She didn’t feel she knew Stannis enough to offer Shireen any words of comfort. So she just took one of Shireen’s hands in hers and squeezed it reassuringly. Shireen seemed to understand and smiled.

“Go have your nap. And I will see you and Devan for dinner later.”

“Yes, my lady. Asha, I mean.” She gathered up her things and left. Asha went to the window and looked out into the gardens. The idea of being a mother in her own right was terrifying enough — thought she was certainly old enough for that role — but she had the additional responsibility of a teenage girl and all the problems that brought. Thoughts of her own mother flashed across her mind but she quickly suppressed them. Alannys had died three years ago while Asha was far away, but in truth she had just been a shell of the woman she had once been. Asha had made her peace with that and there was no point dwelling on the past.

*** 

Despite her simmering irritation with Stannis, she took great joy in dining with Devan and Shireen that evening and learning more about both of them. Devan soon overcame his initial misgivings about attending the queen — and the fact that she actually expected him to dine with her - and proved to be an engaging dinner guest. He had apparently grown up with Shireen at Dragonstone so even though it was obvious she had very strong feelings for him, she could still converse with him confidently. Asha watched them interact approvingly. She knew enough about Lord Davos' relationship with Stannis to feel that the idea of a match between Devan and Shireen wouldn't be so frowned upon. Well, there would always be people frowning about something but Stannis had chosen a low-born smuggler to be his hand so why could not Shireen not marry his son? 

When Devan was taking his leave of them, Asha asked him to remind the king that she would be waiting for him in her bedchamber. Devan blushed and Asha immediately felt guilty. She should have realised that a fifteen-year-old boy would understand the meaning of that. She glanced back at Shireen and she was oblivious, finishing off a lemon cake. Asha sipped her wine and watched her eat. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea for her to grow up too fast after all.

*****

By the time Asha was back in her bedchamber, she was drained after a day of little physical activity but plentiful mental stimulation as she adjusted to new surroundings and new people. She dismissed her maids in favour of soltitude. Before she went to undress, she sat by her dressing table and unclipped her hair, brushing out the kinks.

Stannis arrived shortly after she sat down. She first wanted to see the expression on his face before she decided how she would react, and when she turned to see him scowling, something inside her snapped. He did not even get a chance to close the door before she was on him, fists beating into his chest. That knocked the scowl off his face.

“Calm yourself, woman!”

“I. Will. Not! I have earned this!”

He spun her around, gripped her tightly and dragged her to the bed, landing heavily on top of her from behind.

“So are you going to take me like this then?” _Please God take me like this_ ...

His grip loosened. “No! I am not some kind of animal.”

“No. You are a coward. You are ashamed of your desires so you prefer to just beat them into submission. I feel your hardness there … I know you want to take me ...”

He stood up suddenly and straightened his doublet, allowing her to turn and see the pained expression on his face.

“I fear I will never be the man you want me to be, Asha.”

“What kind of man do you think I want?”

He looked away.

“Stannis ... last night, it was ... better than I could have hoped. And I fell asleep thinking that maybe I would not be such a nuisance to you. But now I see I am just another duty, something to be endured."

“NONSENSE!” he stepped forward and took her face in his hands. “Last night was the first time in a long time that I have lain with a woman. My inexperience embarrassed me, but it was ... it was a very pleasurable experience for me. I know I could have done more to make it better for you but ... I am willing to learn, if you are willing to teach me what you like.”

She was dumbfounded by this honestly, by such an admission of weakness. It was all she’d wanted to hear, even if the way it had come about was unexpected.

She pulled him down to sit beside her and kissed him. He kissed her back. There was no hesitation this time and he even pushed her back onto the bed and began to push her dress up her legs so he could kneel between them. His lips were rough but they were exactly what she needed. She drew him closer to her, her hands tugging at the short hairs at the back of his head. Her instinct was to start tearing at the laces at his breeches, but she resisted that urge and they kissed for what seemed like both an age and a fleeting moment. He moaned softly when she eventually broke the kiss.

“Let me see you," Asha said. "All of you.”

He bit his lip and knelt on the edge of the bed, then slowly began to undress with unsteady hands. She could sense his embarrassment rising, particularly when he peeled his breeches down his thighs. He stood up to pull them off his legs but ended up losing his balance and falling on the floor in a tangled heap. She couldn’t help but laugh as he sat on his backside with a wounded look on his face. 

“Oh, are you hurt?”

“Not especially,” he muttered and then removed the treacherous breeches once and for all. He was just clad in his smallclothes now and hauled himself up to stand before her. She reached forward and grabbed hold of the fabric, pulling the smallclothes down over his narrow hips, and over his hardening cock.

“Now can you get out of these without causing yourself an injury?”

“Damn yer,” he hissed but stepped out of them gingerly all the same. At his full height he was an impressive sight. Asha had never seen Robert Baratheon in the flesh but she found it hard to believe that he sported a finer physique than this in his prime. She took him in from head to toe and smiled. He looked so awkward. She wondered if anyone had ever admired his body before. Then she realised that she might be making him uncomfortable by staring at him, so she snapped out of her reverie.

“I will require your help to undress, my lord.” She had been tightly laced into her gown by her maids. It had been perfectly fitted to her body when she first arrived at King’s Landing but her less-than-active lifestyle at court meant she was sporting a fuller figure of late. Stannis was going to have to work a bit harder to get her dress off. She rolled onto her front and he straddled her from behind, his half hard cock rubbing at her backside. _God, she was wet for him already_.

It took him a few moments to realise that he was going to have difficulty with the laces, which is what she’d hoped for really.

“Just rip it.”

“I could not do that!”

“Yes you could! You are the king! Every scrap of fabric in this castle is yours by right.”

He scoffed. “It doesn’t work like that.”

“I never cared for this dress anyway.”

“Why?”

 _Oh God why was he being so dense?_... she bucked her hips up against him and she heard a sharp intake of breath.

“You can fuck me in the dress then, it matters not!” She wanted to beat her fists on the bed with the frustration of it all.

He said nothing to that but continued to methodically pick at the laces. To her surprise he managed to free her and she exhaled deeply for what was to come. He pushed her hair to one side and kissed the back of her neck. She moaned and gripped the sheets tightly until he turned her gently. He pulled her dress and undergarments down her body and she lifted her hips to accommodate him. Now they were both naked and uncovered by sheets or furs. They stared at each other for a long moment before he repositioned himself so he was kneeling between her legs, hands on either side of her.

She cupped his face in her hands, searching for soothing words. It was only then that she realised he hadn’t been grinding his teeth or clenching his jaw. She kissed him softly and rested her forehead on his.

“This is not so bad … is it?”

He reached a hand up to rub along her arm, stroking her wrist gently with his thumb. “It is very pleasant.”

If this rather underwhelming statement had come from another man’s lips she’d have probably slapped him, but from Stannis it sounded like a declaration of undying love. They kissed again for another little while before he let his hand drop from her wrist and caress her hip. She moaned when his hand found its way between her legs once more, memories of his touch the night before still fresh in her mind.

“Will you tell me if I’m hurting you?”

She kissed him deeply. “I trust you.”

“You may regret saying that,” he half smiled at her as he slipped a finger inside her. She gasped.

“Does that hurt?”

“No, I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying sorry!” More kissing, tongues almost violent against each other now. His previous attempts at balancing himself on one hand had now fallen by the wayside and he was crushing hard into her while thrusting his finger in and out of her. She gripped around his waist, fingers digging into his flanks. He raised himself up a bit to adjust his fingers, touching her with his thumb while still moving his middle finger around inside her. The callouses on his fingers were making things altogether more pleasurable and she arched her hips and groaned. All of a sudden he moved to the side and she muttered “No, stay on top of me.”

“I want to enjoy the view from here,” he said. His legs were still tangled up with hers but he was now propped up on one elbow, while his other hand continued to work between her legs.

“Oh?” she smiled at him through a thick haze of lust and ran a hand up his side.

“I want to make sure I’m doing it right.”

“You are,” she gasped as he flicked his thumb steadily.

“You wouldn’t lie to me to spare my feelings?” his voice was a low rumble.

“No I would not!” 

The pressure was starting to build inside her and the fact that he was staring at her was only intensifying the feeling. And when he actually smiled at her she felt herself start to quiver. A smile from Stannis Baratheon was worth its weight in Lannister gold. He kept up the steady pace with his thumb. She wanted to keep her eyes locked on his but they closed involuntarily and she just let the pleasure take her, a wave of heat crashing over her, making her pulse around his finger.

“Ohhh ...”

She wasn’t sure how long she was lying with her eyes closed but when she opened them he was leaning over and smiling. Again. Now that his finger had left her, her skin tingled all over and she was torn between pushing him away and asking him to take her immediately. He stroked her forehead tenderly.

“I enjoyed watching you,” he said.

“I enjoyed being me.”

He kissed her. “You looked like you were far away, but in a good way.”

“That’s how it felt. How it feels. I only left for a moment really. I am yours now, to do with whatever you please.”

He took her in his strong arms, pressing her close.

“I had not expected it to be like this,” he said.

“What did you expect?”

“I don’t know. I tried not to think about it. When I think about it that’s when things go wrong. They’ve always gone wrong for me over the years.”

“You are the King of the Seven Kingdoms. You have a wonderful daughter. You have Lord Davos. Some things have gone right for you.”

“The things I’ve done to get to this point though …” He laced his fingers through hers and pulled her tighter.

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“I don’t want to tell you right now.”

“Then that’s enough talking.”

“You wish to sleep now?”

“I wish for you to fuck me now.”

“I see.”

He had a ponderous look on his face, as though she had posed a question about taxes or the Dornish laws of succession to him.

“And I wish for you to fuck me hard.”

“I’m afraid I’m not quite ready to …”

“There is an easy way to get you to that point.”

“Which is?”

She sat up out of his grasp and crawled down the bed. When she glanced around at him he looked very confused. She straddled him with her back to him.

“Now you may find the view a bit distracting at first but I can assure you will soon stop thinking about that.”

“What are you do-?” Before he had even finished the question she had taken his cock in her hand. It already started to harden but when she dropped her head and took it in her mouth it sprung to attention.

“Ahhh-sha!”

She had intended the first time she took Stannis in her mouth to be slow and sensuous and gentle with more of a build-up, but right now she was using this method as a means to an end. She wanted to get him hard enough to fuck her and she needed that to happen soon.

“Gods!” he yelled out. She hadn’t anticipated she’d get him so worked up so quickly but then maybe he’d never had a mouth around his cock before. Yet for the moment she preferred the idea of her cunt around it and so she had to regretfully release him. Before he knew what had happened she had turned around to face him and mounted him, guiding him inside her. He sat up quickly to meet her and she flung her arms around his neck and locked her legs together around his buttocks to drive him deeper inside her.

“I won’t kiss you as you might find the taste off ...”

He silenced her with a kiss. 

She ran her hands through his hair, tugging his head back. The back of his neck was wet.

She was able to control the pace better from this position but she knew it wouldn’t take much to push him over the edge so there was no point in dragging it out. She rocked against him and squeezed tightly around him over and over. He looked like he was on the brink of madness as his release overcame him and he cried out. She doubted he’d ever come with such intensity in his life. His back was dripping in sweat. His mouth opened and closed as though he wanted to say something but she just kissed him to spare him having to articulate himself. Even then he couldn’t respond to the kiss properly and she broke away to kiss all over his face.

“Asha,” he gasped, clinging to her for a few moments as she continued to stroke his hair.

Finally they fell back on the bed together, his cock slipping out as they went, curling up facing each other on the pillows. He smiled at her yet again and she wondered if his face might crack from all these unfamiliar facial expressions. She traced a finger along his cheek. “Now do you see why I wanted you to stay with me this morning?” 

He kissed her finger as it passed by his lips. “I do. But don’t ask me if I regret leaving because I fear I am not in the right state of mind right now.”

“You mean you are in the grip of pleasure.” 

“Yes,” he rubbed her hand on his cheek, holding it close.

“And is it such a bad thing?”

His face darkened a little. “I have seen what can happen when men put pleasure above everything.”

“Robert?”

“Yes, Robert. He threw the seven kingdoms into disarray for the love of one woman,”

“From what I’ve heard it was a little bit more complicated than that ... ”

He was silent for a while so she spoke again. “You are not your brother and you will not make the same mistakes.”

They kissed slowly before they separated to get under the covers. When they were settled again she lay her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

“I didn’t expect it to be like this either you know,” she murmured. He may have asked her to explain herself but she slipped into a deep slumber almost immediately -- the not-so-frustrated kraken curled up in the arms of a very satisfied stag.


End file.
